1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for transporting an organ, having a container for organs, a gas-driven pump connected to the container and conduits for circulating a liquid and/or gas through the container, and an attachment for a gas bottle and a gas conduit connecting the gas bottle to the pump. A first valve is provided in the gas conduit and a controller controlling said gas conduit for producing a pulsating gas flow to said pump for operation thereof is provided.
2) Description of Related Art
Perfusion of a donor organ with liquid or gas during the transport phase appreciably improves the quality of the donor organ. This appreciably reduces the risk of the receiving patient's body rejecting me donor organ, achieving for the patient a reduction in the quantity of medicines he/she will have to take to suppress rejection phenomena. Apart from the fact that this is of great importance for the patient's health, it is also of social importance, since there is a shortage of donor organs.
NL 1013524 discloses a device for mechanical organ perfusion during the transport phase of a donor organ. This device has the disadvantage that during the transport phase the pressure of the perfusion liquid in the donor organ is not accurately controlled. Because of this there is a high risk that pressure changes arise to such an extent that the organ perfusion does not proceed as it should. During the transport phase there are many factors which can lead to these pressure changes. A number of frequently occurring factors are a change in the ambient temperature, the reduction in the gas pressure as the gas container becomes emptier and the various positions in which the device is situated. As a result of this, it is with the known device during the transport phase at one moment it is possible for the situation to arise that because the liquid pressure is too low the desired organ perfusion is not achieved and at another moment, which is often worse, that because the liquid pressure is too high the donor organ becomes irreparably damaged. In addition, the known device has a too high gas consumption. As a result of this it regularly happens, and in particular in the event of unexpected delays, that during the transport phase the organ perfusion stops because the gas has run out. Since the device is intended for transport, coupling the device to a larger gas container is not a satisfactory solution.